To Keep Him
by TheAlphaWrites
Summary: Tony can feel Bruce pulling away from him, and he'd do anything to get him back - even this. Tony/Bruce. Requested. I suppose a little Hurt/Comfort if you want to call it that.


**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Requested by Suga Bee on Fanfiction**

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Tony Stark had never thought about having kids. In fact, it was probably the furthest thing from his mind. He had more pressing things to worry about – his inventions, booze, sex, the Iron Man gig. But now that he thought about it, he didn't have Bruce Banner back then.

Bruce and their relationship had become his top priority - because just the thought of losing him was too much to bear. And the mild mannered man was already starting to pull away from him, Tony could feel it. It was almost as if Bruce was looking for every excuse to avoid them sharing time alone together – the extra lab hours, sleeping in the camp bed or on the sofa rather than their bed, and the constant refusal of his date requests. If he was being honest, it was starting to wear on him.

That was it. He was tired. He had tried everything he could think of to try and get Bruce to come back to him, but it seemed all he could be rewarded with was a small smile and a kiss on his temple. Nothing seemed to be able to make him smile, really smile, not anymore –

- Except for those kids.

They'd been walking through central park after a lunch date – one of his many attempts to save their relationship – when these kids, probably still in the elementary school by the looks of them, had run into their path.

There were seven of them; each carrying the latest design of the Avengers' action figures that S.H.I.E.L.D's PR department had worked out to gather support. One boy, a brunet in a 'Where's Wally?' shirt, held a Loki figurine and laughed manically, announcing loudly about his evil plans to take over the world.

"We'll never let you have the world!" 'Captain America' declared strongly, in hot pursuit of his friend, "Avengers, assemble!"

"I'll shock him with my lightening bolts!" 'Thor' shouted.

"I've got the alien fleet!" 'Hawkeye' shouted, "I'm gonna need help guys!"

"Hulk smash!" 'Hulk' bellowed.

"You get 'em Hulk!" 'Iron Man' cheered.

"Hurry up and finish him!" 'Black Widow' ordered, "We can't let that portal stay open any longer!"

Tony's lips twitched upward in amusement. "They're pretty accurate actually…"

When he received no reply, he turned towards his partner and that's when he saw it: _the _smile. Bruce's amazingly beautiful smile that meant he was contented, peaceful, _happy_ – something he had been trying to achieve for weeks now.

'_And a bunch of kids managed what I couldn't_,' he summarized sceptically.

Like he said, Tony had never really thought about having kids, but it was clear that Bruce had. And to keep him, Tony would do literally anything, which is what led him to the current situation he was in.

He shifted awkwardly in his seat, eyes locked on the man across from him. Bruce hadn't looked up since he had been given the book, just slowly turned the pages – he didn't even give any indication that he was aware Tony had stopped talking. The silence was tense, consumed with nerves, and it was more than Tony could handle. He was beginning to suspect that _maybe_ this was a bad idea…

"So?" he found himself breaking the silence, his voice hopeful, "What do you think?"

Bruce didn't say anything at first. He simply finished reading the information on the page, and when he did finally speak; his voice was void of any emotion, not even a weary sigh. "Surrogacy?"

"Or adoption," Tony added with a quick nod, "Um, which ever you prefer…see I got all these pamphlets a-and that book, it has all the egg donors and surrogates in New York, Manhattan and Brooklyn – which, you know, explains the size of that thing – a-and all we have to do is pick one."

It was then that Bruce sighed, closing the open book fully and resting an unmoving hand on the front cover. Still, he didn't look up. "Tony…"

Automatically, the billionaire deflated noticeably. His shoulders slumped, his head dipped and he frowned heavily as he let out a defeated huff. "I screwed up again, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't say that…"

"But I have to be!" Tony suddenly exploded, shocking Bruce, "You're distancing yourself from me, you're avoiding me, and everything I've tried to keep us together just isn't working – the dates, the gifts; the expensive lab equipment – and…and I guess I just thought…"

"You thought what exactly? That having a-a child would fix anything?" Bruce demanded.

"Well, I had to try something!" Tony snapped, "You…you haven't been happy recently, anyone with half a brain can see that. I've tried, I really have, to be better for you and to maybe convince you to stay, here, in New York, with me – but the only time I've ever seen you even smile in the past few weeks was when we saw those kids in central park so I thought maybe a child would…" he trailed off.

"But Tony, you don't even like children…"

"I've never said that," he corrected, "And even if it was true, I would learn…if the child was yours, ours…I just," he sighed pathetically, "I just want to make you smile, and if this is what it takes then..." he shrugged.

Bruce stared at the defeated man across from him and felt a pang of guilt in the centre of his chest that seemed to spread like fire throughout him. _He had caused this_. He hadn't realised Tony had been feeling like this – like it was _his_ fault. Bruce hadn't meant to, he just…pulling away was his defensive mechanism. Every time he got close to someone, the walls erected and he just hid behind them, _like a coward_. It was pathetic and weak and he'd managed to, once again, hurt someone he cared about.

His hands traced the indentions of words on the front of the book. There was no denying how much he wanted a child of his own, he had for a long time now. Although his heart lifted at the thought of starting a family with Tony, one question circled his mind, making it difficult to reach a definite decision: _could he really bring a child, a innocent new life, into this mess?_

Tony jerked when he felt a warm hand cover his own and he instinctively grasped it tighter, needing the human contact. Cautiously, he inclined his head upward and his breath caught in his throat, his eyes widened, at the broad smile that seemed to take possession of Bruce's face. The darkness that had descended over Tony seemed to lift, if ever so slightly. He had missed it so much; how his face would light up, how he would stare so intensely, so focused on him. It gave him hope that maybe, it wasn't a mistake.

"Tony, I love that you want to do this for me," Bruce started quietly. "It means a lot to me. You haven't, um, screwed up – in fact, if anyone here has, it's me. I shouldn't have…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry Tony, _so sorry_, about everything. I am happy with you, living in the Avengers Tower. I honestly am, and I shouldn't have let you think otherwise."

"…So does that mean no babies?" Tony finally questioned after a moment of silence, the hesitant smile his lips had formed making him seem so much younger, so vulnerable.

"Hmm, I never said that," Bruce corrected coyly.

The billionaire blinked in surprise at the unexpected answer, although he wasn't sure whether it was the actual response or the excited feeling that jolted within him that actually shocked him. For all his intelligence and all the words in the English language, there was only one that seemed to fit the situation: "Huh?"

"Well, I kind of like the idea of adopting some kid that really needs a good home, with parents who love and care for them," Bruce waved the adoption brochures, "And, I don't know, maybe we'll do a good job of it."

"I think you'd make a good dad," Tony murmured, shuffling closer so he could hide his face in the crook of his neck, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent.

Bruce smiled softly and cupped his partner's stubble covered jaw between two hands, drawing their lips together with gently tugs into a chaste kiss that said a lot more than any words could. "I think you would too," he breathed.


End file.
